Bowling Green Police Division has arrested two suspects for the rash of cars being entered and items stolen from them on Christmas Eve, and earlier in the month.
Bradley Armstrong, 19, of South Summit Street, Bowling Green, and a juvenile from Rudolph both confessed to entering vehicles and taking credit cards, cash and coins, according to BG Police Chief Tony Hetrick.
The police division was tipped off to the suspects by Perrysburg Police Department, which stopped Armstrong for reportedly acting suspicious in a neighborhood in that city. Perrysburg police contacted Bowling Green police because of the number of cars broken into recently in this city, Hetrick said.
After Perrysburg police gave Bowling Green police the name of the adult suspect, Bowling Green officers were able use store videotape to identify Armstrong as the man using one of the stolen credit cards at a store in Bowling Green, Hetrick said.
Armstrong reportedly confessed to entering 35 vehicles on Christmas Eve at Gyspy Lane Estates manufactured home park in Bowling Green. He also confessed to other car break-ins in the city on Dec. 5 and 6.
Armstrong identified a 15-year-old Rudolph boy as his accomplice in the car break-ins. When picked up by Bowling Green police, the teenager reportedly confessed as well. Both suspects had stolen property on them when arrested, Hetrick said.
Armstrong was charged with receiving stolen property and taken to Wood County Justice Center. The 15-year-old was charged with theft and taken to the Wood County Juvenile Detention Center.
“It’s satisfying to get them arrested and identified,” Hetrick said this morning.
However, the chief acknowledged that vehicles are “easy marks” for thieves.
“We don’t think we’ve resolved anything completely,” Hetrick said, noting that Bowling Green is not alone in seeing a rash of vehicle break-ins. “It’s very vexing to try to solve that.”
Bowling Green Police Division detectives continue to investigate to identify the owners of recovered property. Anyone with further information is urged to contact the Bowling Green Police Division at 419-352-2571 or Wood County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-54-CRIME (419-352-0077).
Hetrick predicted that other communities in the region may investigate Armstrong and the Rudolph teenager as possible suspects in vehicle break-ins in their jurisdictions.
